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Earth

Earth Hour was over in March and Earth Day was over in April. May has arrived but thoughts on the environmental issue wandered to my mind again.

An article inside the Singapore Scientist magazine reminded me that while individual efforts matter, we could not deny the impact caused by industrialisation on our environment, and we would really need breakthrough technology which could overcome those impact on a greater scale.

This in turn reminded me of another recent article I had read on the work of Dr Teh Yong Liang from Temasek Polytechnic, winner of the notable World Future Foundation PhD Prize 2010, an award to recognise his outstanding research work in the development of energy-efficient compressors.

In that article, it was shared that Dr Teh’s motivation came from his belief that we need not use more than what is needed, and that it led him to work on the development of a new compressor for refrigeration and air-conditioning purposes, and won the earlier mentioned award. Technological advances like this not only save cost for consumers, but also save energy. It allows people to continue modern living but with lesser damage to our planet Earth.

Coincidentally, Dr Teh will be sharing more on how we can achieve sustainable energy on this coming Saturday (19 May) at a Shell Singapore Youth Science Festival (SSYSF) Public Forum at Science Centre Singapore. It will be interesting to hear what he has to share.

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May
15

Lights, Camera, Action!

Shell and Science Centre Singapore’s 35 years of collaboration has yielded a gem of an event – the Shell Singapore Youth Science Festival (SSYSF). One of the highlights of this festival, is the SSYSF Stage! Drama Competition. In a nutshell, the competition promotes science and its application through drama. And each year, a number of schools send their best and brightest acting talent to compete in this prized event, but only after religious preparation-sometimes several months in advance.

With at least one opportuntity to razzle and dazzle the audience, each school has to produce a short skit based on the theme of ‘Renewable Energy for Everyone’ and in line with 2012 being the ‘International Year of Sustainable Energy for All’. With just 7 minutes to communicate this, schools must impress the judges in the following criteria: relevance, communication, cast performance, overall presentation and use of environmentally friendly/recycled materials.

As it turned out, 2012 proved no different from preceding years, drawing a stellar line-up of budding talent from various schools. Despite the stiff competition in the auditions, which were held on 22 and 23 March and in the Finals (31 March), Kuo Chuan Presbyterian took top honours, emerging first after delivering a commanding performance entitled, ‘One People, One Earth, One Energy’.

Check out their winning stage performance (above) in the SSYSF Stage! Drama Competition. Their skit will be showcased at the opening ceremony of SSYSF on 22 May.

Chief Executive of Science Centre Singapore, A/Prof Lim Tit Meng posing with the enthusiastic Kuo Chuan Presbyterian cohort

While the competition phase of the SSYSF Stage! Drama Competition is over, the rest of SSYSF continues to promise action-packed activities, including Energy Fest ( 16 – 22 May) where you can build and launch your own rocket and more. Also don’t miss the Public Forum (19 May) where prominent scientist, Dr Teh Yong Liang from Temasek Polytechnic will share how we can achieve sustainable energy.

For more information on SSYSF, visit www.science.edu.sg/events/pages/ssysf.aspx and www.facebook.com/SSYSFSingapore.

The SSYSF Stage! Drama Competition is targeted at primary students, giving them an opportunity to combine their creativity and drama skills to present a short skit (7 minutes) related to a science theme.

Tags: renewable energy, Science Centre, Shell, SSYSF, SSYSF Stage

May
08

Snails – A salty memory?

"Science It"

Recently, I posted a photo of the underside of a snail which was crawling vertically up a tank on our Science Communication Facebook page “Science It“.

When I shared the photo with my friends, there were several responses. One said he used to be crazy over snails during his Primary School days, and even kept a few as pets for a few weeks before releasing them back to the wild. One horrified me by saying that she liked to dissolve snails with salt during her childhood days. I was surprised because of two reasons; that snails can be dissolved with salt or salt water, and that people were actually enjoying doing that.

Someone then commented that the snails dissolve due to osmotic pressure. I quickly did a search on the term, and also discussed the Facebook conversation thread with people around me. This was what I learnt.

When salt is placed on a snail, or when the snail is placed in a highly concentrated salt solution, the salt concentration outside the snail becomes higher compared to the other side of the snail’s skin (a semi-permeable membrane).

Giant African Snail

Because of osmosis (the net movement of solvent molecules through a partially permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration, in order to equalise the solute concentrations on the two sides), the water from within the snail will move out of the snail through the skin towards the salt solution, causing the snail to shrivel up and die.

It can also be illustrated with a water tank with a membrane in the middle. When a lot of salt is added to one side of the tank, the water level in that side of the tank will rise due to the movement of water molecules across the membrane (osmosis).

So, when salt is sprinkled on a snail, it’s osmosis that kills it. Poor snail!

Tags: osmosis, osmotic pressure, snails

Apr
27

Obsession with snails

Looking into the terrestrial tank this morning, I couldn’t see the snail eggs at the spot we previously saw them at, but there seemed to be some tiny baby snails crawling along the soil and moss. Yet apparently, snail eggs hatch between 2-4 weeks’ time if they are kept warm and moist. I couldn’t be sure whether these baby snails had hatched from the eggs we saw earlier. If yes, the eggs should have been discovered earlier. So what really happened in that tank?

Baby snail with a shell which is about 3mm in size

Baby Snail crawling into the dark crevice in the soil and moss

Nonetheless, it is exciting to watch the baby snails crawl around the tanks. Looking forward to see more of them.

Tags: snail eggs, snails

Apr
25

Behold… New Generation Science!

by Danny

One of our young visitors fascinated by the terrestrial exhibit

One of the sub-themes of the conference was ‘New Generation Science’. And while this was discussed largely around the new generation of visitors, science centres and technologies, I felt just this morning, that maybe, I could add to that view of new generation science.

You see, only in late March this year, we set up in Science Centre Singapore, a snails mini-exhibition featuring a variety of live specimens in three different habitats-land, freshwater and marine. I’ve been checking in on the tanks nearly every other day over the last 5 weeks. And to my sheer delight this morning, I spotted pink eggs in our terrestrial tank and white eggs in our freshwater tank!

They’re positive signs that our snails have acclimated well to the habitats created for them. And I couldn’t help but sense a connection (even if it’s crude) to new generation science. While it’s entirely different to what was discussed, it’s still science and at to me, the ushering in of a new generation. Sure, the circle of life is nothing new, but you just never know if evolutionary change has begun to kick in.

It’s all pretty exciting for us at Science Centre as we’ll be monitoring the eggs to see if life emerges from them. And if you’re going to egg me for bringing this up, go right ahead-just make sure it’s a snail’s egg!

Pink eggs found in our land snails exhibit

Whitish Eggs found in our freshwater exhibit

ASPAC is the Annual Conference of Asia Pacific Network of Science & Technology Centres (ASPAC), an event hosted by various science centres around the Asia Pacific region. This year, Science Centre Singapore hosted the 12^th of such conferences from 16 to 21 April 2012. The event drew science visionaries, leaders and innovators from science centres and museums in the region who gathered to share ideas, exchange knowledge, showcase new innovations and network with one another.

Tags: exhibition, Science Centre, snail eggs, snails

Apr
23

An Earth Day Afterthought

A couple of weeks back, I blogged about my thoughts on the environmental issue. A couple of days ago, I heard the topic being spoken of during the ASPAC 2012 Conference (http://aspac2012.com) held here in Science Centre Singapore. During his keynote address on the third day of the conference, Professor Kerry Sieh, Director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore spoke about trends of natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes and their impact on our planet. At the end of his address, he posed a question to the conference delegates on whether we would continue to act as if our Earth is static and infinite in size and resources. It was food for thought for everyone.

Earth

While some felt that the future of our planet is bleak, and some felt that the topic was depressing, I was inspired. I personally like the thought of the issue being discussed at the conference because of the reach it had. The resources on our planet are definitely not finite, whether it is energy sources or our food supply. Mankind will need to adjust ourselves when these resources run out. Perhaps on the scientific front, there might be more discovery of resources in future, or perhaps there might be technological advancements that would make a difference. In the meantime, action could also be taken by people like you and me. It would definitely be ideal if more people can take the issue to heart.

Tags: Earth, Earth Day, environment

Apr
05

Earth Hour – What does it mean to you?

Have you been taking care of our Mother Earth? Recent events have set me thinking about this question once again.

Earth Hour

Last Saturday (31 Mar 2012), many people observed the Earth Hour. Earth Hour was started by WWF-Sydney in the year 2007 for the people in Sydney to show their support for climate change action and was picked up by many countries in the world by 2008. Introduced to Singapore in the year 2009, the event has since been quite widely talked about in our local community, or at least during the period leading up to it. In fact, according to the Earth Hour official website, Singapore ranked among the top 21 countries in the year 2011 in terms of social activity around Earth Hour.

While many countries, cities, organisations and individuals have made effort to raise awareness about Earth Hour through various activities and created much hype around them, I personally felt that the true spirit of the movement lay in the actual action taken in support of the cause, not just during Earth Hour, but on a daily basis. Real action would give much more significance to the movement, especially if it could be done on a long term basis.

How many people are truly committed to the cause, and how many of those who pledged commitment can walk the talk?

Could it be that many people are just too caught up in the same way we have lived our lives? Do we need to go through a Tsunami or other life-changing encounters to be able to truly appreciate and take care of the planet we live on?

I like to take the Japanese as an example. Recycling is part and parcel of their lifestyle. Every Japanese household have recycling bins that sort out different types of waste. There are also established systems in which these wastes are collected. I admire their recycling systems, adopt their ways and adapt it to our local context. Personally, recycling has already became a habit in my life, but I am still lacking in many other areas of environmental-friendly actions and I constantly remind myself that I should do more.

Earth: Our Untamed Planet

Recently, a tour of the latest Science Centre Singapore exhibition, “Earth: Our Untamed Planet”, coincidentally made me ponder upon the same issue. Increased frequency of natural disasters around the world have drawn some people’s attention to whether their occurrences might also have been indirectly caused by the actions of mankind. Either way, the fact remains that being tenants of this planet, we need to treat it better and be aware that what we do affects the place we live in. A scene from the science fiction movie “Wall-E” suddenly came to my mind at this juncture – a land of grey garbage with still air and silence. I wouldn’t want to live there.

When you are done with the use of your computer/appliances, will you remember to switch it off? Don’t forget to shut down your laptop at the end of the day and cut down unnecessary electricity use while you are away. This is something I also need to remind myself to do religiously, or my recycling efforts would all have been negated. Of course, there are many other things that we could do for our dear Mother Earth and they have been much talked about in the media.

If this is what you have been working towards too, let me say a word of “Ganbatte kudasai”! (Just to quote a line of encouragement from the Japanese)

Haven’t given this issue a thought? Seemingly small, the accumulated effort from individuals can reap great results. If you care about the planet you live in, why not start today?

Tags: Earth, Earth Hour, environment, natural disaster, Recycling

Feb
29

Future Perfect II

Guest Post by Alvin Tan, artistic director, The Necessary Stage.

‘Future Perfect’ – a play about human enhancement. Three interwoven stories, light-hearted, dramatic and poignant, will unfold before your eyes and pull you in as the characters struggle with ethical issues on the biomedical front. Future Perfect’ runs at the Science Centre from 5-9 March, 2.30-3.30pm. For more information or to register, please visit SCS Events Calendar.

A play about human enhancement The script Haresh wrote inspired me because it had three narratives fleshing out the different aspects of the theme. Each narrative resonates with another to give a holistic idea of the issues one anticipates will prove to be social concerns. The script itself is imaginative and visionary, helping us to travel in time, propelling us to the future so we can confront some of these dilemmas today. That is the sole inspiration that fueled the way I directed the play.

The cast, playwright and myself sit down to read the script. That’s what we usually do when it’s a new play. It is important for us to hear how the characters sound like. There are three stories and the actors had to make the characters distinct so as not to confuse the audience. The director has to imagine the costumes they should be wearing as these are markers to help audience along so they can appreciate the play with some ease. Already there are three stories intertwined. So clarity is very important so the audience is able to access with ease the complex issues in the work and be engaged with them so they can mull over the points and form an opinion.

Then we have a set proposal and we begin organising the characters in the space – how they move, what tableaux they form. What are their motivations, what are the shapes of the scenes, where is the climax of the play. After we have draft the whole play, we revise and refine as the actors learn their lines and become script-free. That is when the play begins to take shape and soar.

Future Perfect will definitely make people think. It is provocative without being offensive. That is the work of a true master craftsman. I am very honoured to be working with Haresh Sharma, a skilled playwright who is able to craft a work that is both cerebrally challenging and poignant. A work that can inspire both director and cast because it is ultimately about humanity and the social condition.

About Alvin Tan
The Founder and Artistic Director of The Necessary Stage, Alvin has directed more than 60 plays staged locally and at international festivals. He had been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and was a member of the curatorial panel for TransLab, an initiative created by the Australian Council for the Arts to promote intercultural theatre and performance. In 2010, Alvin was conferred the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. Alvin was most recently awarded Best Director at the 2011 Life! Theatre Awards for Model Citizens by The Necessary Stage.

Tags: biomedical ethics, drama, human enhancement

Feb
27

Future Perfect I

Guest Post by Haresh Sharma, playwright, The Necessary Stage.

When I first met the people at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics, I was given this brief: To create awareness in youth on the ethical issues involved in human enhancement. Mother, Michael & Suzann

It was challenging and scary at the same time. The issue of human enhancement has long been a polarising one – amongst experts let alone lay people like us. I had to think of a way to write a play which would appeal to the youth audience and at the same time include issues which they would want to talk about after.

I decided to create 3 stories focusing on different aspects of enhancement. One is about a young couple who decide to take a serum that can prolong their lives. The next story is about a shop that sells stem cells. And finally, a man brings his mother to a shop called ‘Designer Babies’ because he wants to have the perfect child.

The stories have a Sci-fi feel to them, but yet they very much have the essence of the present.

As part of my research I read several articles provided to me by the Centre for Biomedical Ethics. I also discussed the issues with them in order to get different points of views.

When we started rehearsals more changes were made to the script. It has been challenging for the actors as well because they each have to play three totally different characters. But they have risen to the challenge admirably and the performance is going to be a really exciting one.

The play incorporates a lot of drama, humour, conflict and emotional scenes. At the same time, it is also accessible and honest, and leaves much room for contemplation and discussion.

It’s been such a fantastic experience working on this play. I’ve written many plays for youth audiences, but this has been one of my most meaningful.

About Haresh Sharma
Haresh is the Resident Playwright of The Necessary Stage and has written more than 70 plays to date. His play, Off Centre, was selected by the Ministry of Education as a Literature text for N and O Levels, and republished by The Necessary Stage in 2006. Haresh was awarded Best Original Script for Fundamentally Happy, Good People and Gemuk Girls during the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Life! Theatre Awards respectively. A collection of his plays has been translated into Mandarin and published by Global Publishing with the title
‘哈里斯•沙玛剧作选’.

Tags: biomedical ethics, drama, human enhancement

Feb
24

The world of dinosaurs

Guest Post by Nabil Rafael Roslan, Eunos Primary School. This is one of three selected blog posts written for the Berita Harian newspaper as part of a student press event at the Dinosaurs-Live! Exhibition.

Late one night, I heard a soft knocking on my window. I turned towards the sound and was immediately startled. I saw a dinosaur who could speak. He told me that his name was Flynn and wanted me to fly away with him. He told me to ride on his back which was huge.

I was so happy as I have always wanted to fly.

We flew to a jungle which looked eerie. I asked Flynn why he wanted to bring us to such a place but he told me that he simply wanted me to visit the world of dinosaurs.

I’ve never been to that world, so I was amazed when we entered the world. I saw different species of dinosaurs doing many different things. Some were eating fresh grass.

The towering diplodocus at Science Centre's Dinosaurs-Live! Exhibition

Flynn introduced me to his friends. In fact, a Diplodocus called Liz invited me to play with her and her friends.

Time passed quickly and soon the sky grew dark. Flynn called to me to bring me home. He was sure that my parents would be worried about me by then and might have started looking for me.

I felt sad to leave. I said thank you to Flynn’s friends and flew home with him.

Upon reaching my home, I said thank you to Flynn and bade him good bye Exhausted, I fell asleep immediately. I will never forget the wonderful memories of the world of dinosaurs.

Tags: dinosaurs, student contribution